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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. swing — music
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. swing — to play on
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. spring — a coil
  8. swing — in golf
  9. mark — a trace
  10. spring — the season
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. net — for catching
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mark — a grade
  15. rush — hurry
  16. spring — of water
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. net — after costs
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. deal — to handle
  22. net — in sport
  23. tube — the underground
  24. deal — an agreement

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com